Yoga for Attaining the State of Mindfulness

Mental peace, inner peace, and spiritual enlightenment are often emphasized in ancient scriptures for the holistic development of man. Every culture and religion of the world teaches, preaches, and practices these virtues for a vertical development of love and restating the brotherhood in society. Yoga and Mindfulness are two prominent and popular practices to achieve the good values and virtues. These two practices are dissected by philosophers, researchers, and physicians to the threshold only to conclude that the effects are inevitably gainful. This chapter brings together yoga and mindfulness on same page to show their complementary relationship. Here are mentioned few challenges and issues that both the practices have to face often.

Investigation of a non-linear complementary relationship model for monthly evapotranspiration estimation at global flux sites

Proper parameterization of the parameter (αe) that governs the wet environment evaporation is critical for the regional estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) using the generalized complementary relationship (GCR) model. Here, we proposed a global parameterization for the GCR model. We found that the GCR model is sensitive to the parameter αe, which varies spatially with the climate aridity index (AI, the ratio between the apparent potential ET and the precipitation) across 60 sites that span a large variety in climate types worldwide. We found that αe and the AI are generally more strongly correlated in drier climates (AI > 2) where water supply instead of energy supply is the limiting factor for actual ET. The strong correlation between αe and AI can be partly explained by 1) the usage of the air temperature measurements in the non-potential conditions instead of potential conditions, and 2) the insensitivity of the actual ET to the apparent potential ET in the drier climate. Temporally, the parameter αe exhibits seasonal courses at monthly scales and decreases with increasing of vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in a hysteresis loop. Incorporation of the seasonal course and hysteresis significantly improved the model performances at most of the sites. The global parameterization we established can help the GCR model to be a more useful tool for regional and global ET estimations.

Simulation of Actual Evapotranspiration and Evaluation of Three Complementary Relationships in the Upper Regions of the Mekong River and the Salween River

Based on observed precipitation and runoff data, monthly actual evapotranspiration (ETa) was calculated by the hydrological budget balance method in the Nu River Basin (NRB) and Lancang River Basin (LCRB). The performance of three developed complementary relationship methods, the nonlinear advection-aridity (nonlinear AA) method, generalized complementary relationship method (B2015), and sigmoid generalized complementary function (H2018), on simulating (ETa) were evaluated. The evaluation results showed that three methods were able to accurately simulate monthly (ETa) series. The NSE between the monthly (ETa) simulated by the nonlinear AA, B2015, and H2018 methods and the water-balance-derived (ETa) were 0.89, 0.83, and 0.91, respectively. The R-square were 0.90, 0.84, and 0.93, respectively. Overall, the H2018 method showed the best performance. The parameter α had a negative correlation with regional aridity index. Annual (ETa) and precipitation showed significant increasing trends during 1956–2018 in the basins at all temporal scales (dry and wet seasons and annual series). Runoff also exhibited an increasing trend in each sub-basin, except for the downstream region of the LCRB. The increasing magnitudes of wet reason precipitation and runoff in the mid-stream region was the highest, with the value of 73.7 mm/10a and 44.9 mm/10a, respectively. The (ETa) increased dramatically in the downstream region, the magnitude reached 25.9 mm/10a. Precipitation was the main factor leasing to (ETa) change. The increasing magnitude of (ETa) accounted for 42.4% of the precipitation increment. Research on the influence mechanism between meteorological factors and (ETa) showed that the contribution rate of air temperature to (ETa) was the highest, reaching 23.5%, which showed a significant positive correlation. The second was wind speed, whose contribution rate was − 10.2% on average, and even reached − 14.1% in the upstream region of the NRB. The correlation coefficient between (ETa) and wind speed was highest in mid-stream region of the NRB, which was greater than 0.80. The contribution rates of increasing humidity to (ETa) were − 12.5% and − 9.2% in the NRB and LCRB, respectively. (ETa) was negatively correlated with humidity. The negative correlation was especially strong in the mid-stream region, with coefficients were greater than − 0.65. The sunshine hours had the least effect on (ETa), and the contribution rates were − 6.5% and − 4.1%, respectively.

Pola Komunikasi pada Praktik Meditasi di Sekolah Berbasis Buddhis

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan gambaran tentang pola komunikasi pada penerapan praktik meditasi di sekolah berbasis Buddhis di Banten. Sekolah berbasis Buddhis di Banten terdiri dari: Sekolah Dharma Putra, Sekolah Ariya Metta, Sekolah Atisa Dipamkara, Sekolah Jaya Manggala, Sekolah Bodhisatta, Sekolah Punna Karya, Sekolah Perguruan Buddhi, dan Ehipassiko School. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif-komparatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data melalui wawancara dan studi dokumen yang kemudian data dianalisis lintas situs menggunakan teknik Miles & Huberman. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa praktik meditasi di sekolah berbasis Buddhis di Banten berdasar pada ajaran Buddha dengan tipe pola komunikasi pelengkapan (complementary relationship) dan jenis pola komunikasi interaksional dengan tujuan yang sama yakni membentuk karakter positif siswa sesuai harapan pemerintah, sekolah dan orangtua. Penelitian ini berimplikasi sebagai bukti upaya sekolah Buddhis dalam mensukseskan program penguatan pendidikan karakter yang dicanangkan pemerintah serta dapat menjadi bahan pertimbangan pengambilan kebijakan terkait pola komunikasi pada penerapan meditasi di sekolah-sekolah.

Shared Decision-Making towards a Higher Quality of Care: Is this the Norm?

Patient-doctor relationship has traditionally been paternalistic, in which the doctor decided on behalf of the patient. It focused mainly between the patient who called for help and the doctor whose decisions had to be silently observed and followed by the patient. In this paternalistic model, the physician used his skills to choose the necessary interventions and treatments that were likely to restore the health of the patient. All the information given to the patient was selected to encourage them to consent to the doctor’s decisions. This definition of the asymmetric or unbalanced interaction between physicians and patients has begun to be questioned over the last 20 years. There has been a shift from this direction to one where the patient is more informed, empowered, and independent - a move from a “paternalistic” to a more “complementary” relationship. Critics suggested a more active, autonomous patient-centered role which supports greater patient control, reduced doctors’ dominance, and a more mutual participation. This approach has been described as one where the doctor attempts to enter the patient’s world to see the disease with the eyes of the patient and is becoming the predominant model in clinical practice today.

Exploring the Distribution of Gardens in Suzhou City in the Qianlong Period through a Space Syntax Approach

This study explored the spatial distribution of Suzhou gardens in the Qianlong period (AD 1736–1796) through an innovative method combining spatial syntax and historical textual analysis. Through a spatial syntax approach, a stress axis model analysis suggested that the greater the degree of integration and prosperity of a street, the denser the distribution of gardens surrounding it. A canal axis model analysis indicated that more gardens were built around canals that were less integrated and had less traffic. The accuracy and reliability of the axis model analysis results were validated using historical documents and images. The following was observed: (1) Gardens were densely distributed in the prosperous commercial areas at the northern and southern ends of Suzhou City. The more prosperous the location of a garden, the greater the influence on its popularity. (2) Gardens were concentrated in residential areas with booming businesses. (3) Large numbers of gardens were built along canals with poor traffic functions. Building gardens by diverting water into them reflected the complementary relationship between urban geographical characteristics and garden-building techniques. (4) Gardens promoted commercial development, and commerce drove the preservation and continuation of gardens. The findings revealed the complementary relationship between garden preservation and commercial development.

The Role of Benchmarking in Achieving Competitive Advantage of Egyptian Education Faculties Programs

The study aimed to identify the concept and types of benchmarking, and to determine the Justifications of choosing benchmarking approach in order to achieve the competitive advantage for Egyptian Education Faculties programs, and also determine the performance indicators for Egyptian Education Foundations programs that can be used when benchmarking with the corresponding programs. The study depended on the descriptive research approach in achieving its objectives and answering its various questions and manipulating its different approaches. The study constructed a suggested model that can be used when benchmarking to Egyptian Education Faculties Programs with its distinct corresponding Programs. The study also showed the complementary relationship between benchmarking and performance indicators and their role in diagnosing an aspect of the competitive reality in the Egyptian Education Faculties programs. Received: 18 February 2021 / Accepted: 15 April 2021 / Published: 17 May 2021